Gem



H. H. WELCH.

GEM. I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1921.

1,421,329. Patented June 27, 19:22.

ATTORNEY STATES T T. F HQEe HORACIEi H. WELCI-I, OF CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS.

GEM.

Appiication filed January 5, 1921. Serial No. 435,075.

T0 (ZZZ iohome't may cancer 22 Be it known that I, Home}: H. Viewer, a citizen of the I nited States, residing at Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to a novel and pleasing type of gem or jewel adapted for many and varied uses, particularly in the production of jewelry.

Its salient and outstanding characteristic resides in its capacity for automatically and more or less radically changing and modifying its appearance byreason of its changes of position, such as are imparted thereto by the movements of "the hand of the wearer when the gem is incorporated, for example, as a part of a ring, or in the handling of the beads of a string when the gems constitute such beads.

By reason of its readily changing appearance, the gem is especially attractive and commands the attention and approval of the observer.

In its embodiment in physical form, the invention comprises the employment of a transparent or translucent hollow shell or head, such as glass, loosely housing or encasing one or more display elements, such as the well-known sparkling granular metallics of the trade, or other attractive members, such for instance as crumpled pieces of gold leaf, tinsel, or the like.

In some forms of the gem, it is desirable to fill the hollow body with liquid and to enclose the display elements in such liquid, whereby to prevent their wear or reduction in size by their attrition on one another and to facilitate their change of position.

In many instances, it ispreferable to so choose the specific gravity of the liquid employed with reference to the weight of the display elements per unit volume, that the latter will readily or almost float, whereby when once disturbed as by the movement of the encasing shell, they will settle slowly and in so doing rearrangetheir positions at the same time enhancing or increasing their attractive dis lay qualities.

In some embodiments it is well to have the exhibit particles of different colors or dissimilar physical characteristics, the liquid being clear or colored,*and the shell may be of clear glass or of suitable color as may be preferred to heighten the beauty ofthe displayed contents.

To enable those skilled in this art to have a full and complete understanding of the invention and its various benefitsand advantages, I have illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, several embodiments of the invention, and throughout the several views of such drawing like reference characters refer to the same parts.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a face view of a ring fitted with one of the new gems;

Figure 2 is a central section through one of such gems on an enlarged scale; 7

Figure 3 is a rear face view of the gem;

Figure 4 illustrates a modified style of-the gem in section forming part of a ring shown in dotted lines;

Figure 5 portrays a further modified type of the article;

Figure 6 shows a beads; and

. Figure 7 illustrates a ring fitted with one of the gems not filled with a liquid.

By reference to the drawing, particularly Figure 1, it will be observed that the novel gem or jewel 11 is desirably, but not necessarily, of substantially spherical shape and is secured in the customary ring 12 by means of the usual jewel-retaining prongs 13.

Such gem or jewel is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3 wherein it will be seen that the article comprises a globular or orbicular glass shell or casing 14 enclosing a suitable body of liquid 15 in which is immersed or incorporated a number of display elements 16, 16 of irregular or uneven or unsymmetrical shape, such, for example, as crumpled or wrinkled glittering or scintillating pieces of gold or silver leaf or similar irridescent or glistening bodies, and the liquid is desirably, although not necessarily, of such portion of a string of specific gravity as-to maintain such enclosed bodies more or less in suspension or floating condition whereby when these shinyor brilliant bodies are temporarily disturbed by resenting an attractive and pleasing appearance by reason not only of their original brilliant radiating characteristics but also by then-movements. W It is convenient to'"supply such encasing/ glass globe or sphere with an inwardly exj tended glass air-tube 1 7 sealed liquid-tight I the in the body 14 and adapted to contain a small bubble of air incident to theproductionot' the device and which is retained in such tube thus avoiding its escape and pos- 7 sibly detrimental appearance in other portions of the body.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 omits the tube 17 ands instead of employing thin sheets or leaves of learning or flashing display material, the atter is of more granular t'orm,as illustrated at 18. For this purpose the wellknown colored twinkling shiny metallics of the trade may be suitably employed and may be of all the same color or of di erent tints or colors as may be preferred.

In both of these embodiments of the invention and the others described hereinafter, the liquid may or may not be employed but in many cases it is well to use it because it saves wear on the multitude of tiny irisated or lustrous display members and retards their movements so as to keep them in suspens on or floating condition longer than would otherwise occur and hence augmenting -their sparkling or nacreous characteristics.

In all of the several embodiments the glass bead or shell may be clear or colored, and the liquid which it encloses may be clear or colored as may be desired or as circumstances dictate.

In Figure 5 a somewhat ditterent embodiment is illustrated and in this case the glass or similar transparent shell 14 houses a liquid 15 which contains a single loose gem 19 which may be of any shape desired and which, because of its loose association with the member l L is of increased beauty'because it may display to the observer many features which would'otherwise be concealed, for example the body 19 may be an opal or pearl, or piece of mother ofpearl or similar jewel, which, becauseof its capability of'movement, is much more attractive and pavonine than if itwere firmly mounted in the ring or other piece of jewelry with i which it is associated.

In Figure 6 I have shown the new balllike globular gems employed as beads on a string 20 which passes through glass tubes 21 extended through and sealed in the en.- closures 14, the latter containing the one or more twinkling or sparkling display elements, and, if preferred, a liquid of suitable specific gravity may be used to facilitate their movements and to prevent their wear.

In Figure 7 a ring is shown fitted with one ofthe gems comprising a hollow, trans. parent or translucent or colored container 30 such as glass, housing a number of brilliant display bodies 3 1. .Such element 30.

restricted to the precise and exact embodiments presented, but rather is susceptible of a variety of mcorporations in physical form and the devices-shown may, 01' course.

ture fronrthe heart and essence of the invention and without the sacrifice ot any of 1ts substantial benefits and advantagcs.

he changed in many respects without dcpar v Although the globular enclosing shcll has been characterized as tra-ns mrcnt, it may be merely translucent or semx-transparc'nt only it more desirable to partially conceal the encased display members; and it is intended to cover all such changes as fairly .fall within the scope of the appended claims, wherein the \term transparent may he 1nterpreted to mean parent.

I claim r 1. A finger ring having a setting. an artificial gem secured therein, said gem (Ontprising a hollow body, and a suiticient number of loose brilliant display elements housed and movable in said body to give to fully "or p'artly transthe gem as a whole the" appearance of internal mobility upon movement of the gem, said, body being sufficiently translucent to render visible therethrough the moving hrilliant display-elements.' I

2. An article of jewelry to be worn on the person including an artificial gem, said gem comprising a hollow body and a sufiieientnumber of loose brilliant display elements housed and movable in said body to give to the gem as a whole the appearance of internal mobility upon movement of the article said body being sufficiently translucent to render visible therethrough the moving brilliant display elements.

3. An article of jewelry to be worn on the person including an artificial gem com-- prising a hollow body, a liquid in said body and a sutficient number of loose brilliant solid display elements in said liquid to give to the gem as a' whole the appearance of internal mobility upon movement of the article, said body being sufficiently translucent to render visible therethrough the moving brilliant display elements.

4. An article of jewelry to be worn on the person including an artificial gem, said gem comprising a hollow body, a colored liquid in said. body and a suflicient number of loose brilliant solid display elements in said liquid to give to the gem as a whole the appearance of internal mobility upon movement of the article, said body being suficiently translucent to render visible therethrough the moving brilliant display elements.

5. An article of jewelry to be worn on the person including an artificial gem, said gem comprising a hollow colored body, a liquid in said body, and a sufiicient number of loose brilliant solid display elements in said liquid to give to the artificial gem an appearance of internal mobility upon movement ofthe article, said body being suiiiciently translucent to render visible therethrough the moving brilliant display elements.

6. An article of jeweli to be worn on the person including an artificial gem, said gem comprising a hollow transparent body, a

transparent liquid in said body and a.suiiicientfnumber of loose colored brilliant solid display elements in said liquid to give to the gem as a Whole the appearance oi interlnal mobility upon movement of the article.

7. An article of jewelry to be Worn on the person including an artificial gem, said gem comprising a hollow body, and one or morefragments of a precious stone housed and movable in said body thereby enhancing the beauty of said fragment or fragments by reason of movement of the latter in said body upon movement of the article, said body being sufficiently translucent to render visible therethrough the said fragment or said body thereby enhancing the beauty of said precious stone or stones by reason of movement, of the "latter in said liquid upon movement of the, article, said body being sufliciently translucent to render visible therethrough the said precious stone. or

stones.

HQRACE H. WELCH, 

